Safety equipment for ships, barges and the like



R. D. SMITH Jan. 21, 1964 SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPS, BARGES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIHVI INVENTOR. F055??? ,D. SMITH R. D. SMITH 3, SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPS, BARGES AND THE LIKE Jan. 21, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1963 QWW lllllll "I I'll! A lllllll'I INVENTOR.

United States Patent M arrears SAFETY EQUIPMENT F OR SHIPS, BARGES AND THE LIKE Robert D. Smith, 2742 E. Tremont Ave, Bronx 61, N.Y. Filed .lan. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 253,840 2 Claims. (Cl. 114-68) This invention relates to safety apparatus for seagoing vessels. More specifically it relates to an improved chamher for housing the safety equipment as described in U.S. patent application Serial No. 237,590 entitled Streamlined Housing for Ship Safety Equipment, and for providing buoyancy to a vessel dangerously shipping water.

One object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of chambers on a hull for containing ship safety equipment, each chamber fully enclosing a safety equipment operative mechanism which does not require to be moved out of the chamber for operative use. It is to be noted that in the reference US. patent application named above, the safety equipment operative mechanism had to be moved outwardly of the ship hull in order that it be in an operative position, such outward movement being accomplished by an accessory mechanism that required a certain amount of time to accomplish such process which was a singular step in a series of sequential steps to bring the ship safety equipment from a storage position to an operative position.

Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide an improved safety equipment for ships which will eliminate a certain amount of auxiliary apparatus and which will further eliminate extra time to operate such auxiliary apparatus during times of emergency when every minute is of great importance to quickly create a safety condition for saving the ship, its cargo and personnel.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved safety equipment for ships having a plurality of chambers for containing such equipment wherein each chamber is enclosed by a door that is slidable in a singular simple direction to expose the operative mechanism for use.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved safety equipment for ships and barges hearing the above objects in mind which is relatively simple, has .a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efficient in operation and use.

Still other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon a detailed study of the following specification and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a ship shown partly in cross section and shown incorporating the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view thru 2-27, FIG- URE 1, shown looking into the direction of the arrow thereof.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the ship hull shown incorporating one of the safety equipment compartments or chambers.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top plan View thereof showing the chamber door in opened position.

FIGURE 5 is a rear perspective view of an air blanket being drawn into emergency position by means of the operative mechanism, and 7 FIGURE 6 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the engaging elements of the air blanket and operative mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 19 represents an improved safety apparatus for ships wherein there is a ship hull 11 having a plurality of vertical chambers 12 extending inwardly along the outer side of the hull, each of the chambers communicating to- 3,ll8,4l4 Patented Jan, 21, 1964 gether by means of horizontal tubes 13, and each of the chambers having a slidable door 14 for access thereto, which in closed position is flush on its outer side with the outer side of the hull. It is to be noted that each chamber extends from the main deck to the ships keel l5, and within each chamber there is an endless chain 16 which travels over a plurality of gears 17 freely mounted upon shafts l8, fixed to the hull.

The uppermost gears 17a is mounted on a power shaft 19 driven by a motor 24} and provided additionally with an auxiliary crank handle 21 for purpose of manual operation in case the motor fails. The lowermost gear 17b is mounted on the keel.

The endless chain is comprised of relatively strong link members 47 with steel blocks 48 therebetween as shown in FIGURE 6. A pin retains the parts in chain arrangement. Certain of these blocks in spaced apart intervals on the chain is provided with a side hook 22 having a tapered pin 23 integrally formed in the concave side 24 thereof.

An inflatable air blanket 25 is maintained in stored position adjacent the upper edge of the bulwark 25 being retained in a folded position (as shown at 27) within a housing 28. Each of the air blankets is of generally longitudinal character and each air blanket is associated with one of the endless chains. Each folded section 29 of the air blanket has a hook 39 mounted thereupon, all of the hooks extending in a direction toward the endless chain, and each of the hooks so being in alignment with hooks 22 of the chain so that they may readily attach. The hook 30 is provided with an opening 31 for receiving therein the pin 23 thereby effecting a secure locking together.

A pair of snap lock elements 32 are secured in fixed position relative to the ship at a point adjacent the gear 17b, and the endless chain is provided with a singular link 33 of exaggerated width whereby this link will be snapped into locked position with element 32 when this link passes over gear-17b.

The air blanket housing 28 is provided with a backing spring 34 whereby the air blanket is normally urged against the outer side of the hull and the hooks 3d are urged into the path of hooks 22 thereby assuring engagement.

Each sliding door 14 is movable in a direction parallel with the hull, from a closed position shown in FIGURE 3 to an open position shown in FIGURE 4. The door comprises a panel having an inclined face 35 which is slidable against inclined face 36 of the hull. Edge 37 of the door in closed position is retained in recess 35 of the hull. In closed position the face 39 of the door is flush with outer face it) of the hull due to the relatively thin edge 41 caused by converging faces 36 and 4d of the hull. Projecting arms 42 afhxed to the inner side of the door are attached to chains 43 passing through tubes 13 and connected to each door along the side of the hull, the chains being attached at their ends to motor driven winches (not shown). Guide rails 44 may be provided to guide precise movement of each door.

In operative use, the motor driven winches are first actuated, causing doors to slide into open position. With each door thus out of the Way, the backing spring urges air blanket hook 3% which is nearest the endless chain to assume a position in the path of hooks 22. It is to be noted that the first hook of the air blanket and endless chain are already engaged before the safety equipment is put into operation. The motor Zil is then started causing the endless chain to move, each hook 22 catching a hook 30, causing the leading edge of the air blanket to be drawn down to the keel, where link 33 is locked in snap element 32, thus retaining the air blanket in place. An air compressor 45 on the main deck is now started causing air to be forced through hose 46 into the air blanket, inflating it, thus providing buoyance to keep the ship alloat in case the hull is shipping water. Each air blanket at any point around the hull may thus be selectively operated to prevent a boat from listing.

Thus there has been shown an operative mechanism completely enclosed within a chamber that is within the contour of a hull. Thus there has also been shown a chamber door that may be moved into open position by slidin in a singular direction only.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention or defined by the appended claims.

Having thus set forth and described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a vessel the combination of a hull a plurality of vertically extendin chambers in spaced apart relation extending from said air blankets adjacent said bulwark to said keel, and each said chamber completely enclosing an operative mechanism for drawing said air blankets downward toward said keel, each said air blanket including a plurality of hooks, and each said operative mechanism including an endless chain movably supported on a plurality of gears, said chain including a plurality of hooks; said hooks of said chain each having an arcuate hook portion and a projecting tapering pin on the concave side of said arcuate hooi; portion, said air blanket hooks each having an arcuate hook portion for engagement with one of said chain hooks, each said air blanket hook having an opening through said arcuate portion, said tapering pin of said chain hook being engageable in said opening of said air blanket hook when said arcuate portions of said hooks are engaged.

2. In a vessel the combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hull forming one vertical edge of each of said chamber openings is tapered in cross section so to be relatively flush with said door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,283,345 Sova Oct. 29, 1913 1,309,875 Barniak July 15, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS 285,774 Great Britain Feb. 23, 1928 

1. IN A VESSEL THE COMBINATION OF A HULL, A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY EXTENDING CHAMBERS IN SPACED APART RELATION ALONG SAID HULL, SAID CHAMBERS BEING ON THE INNER SIDE OF SAID HULL, A CHAMBER OPENING, EACH OF SAID OPENINGS HAVING A SLIDABLE DOOR, SAID DOOR IN CLOSED POSITION FORMING A CONTINUED CONTOUR OF SAID HULL, SAID HULL HAVING A KEEL AND TOPSIDES HAVING A BULWARK FORMING THE UPPER EDGE THEREOF, MEANS FOR SLIDABLY MOVING SAID DOORS IN A SINGULAR DIRECTION ADJACENT THE INNER SIDE OF SAID HULL, A PLURALITY OF AIR BLANKETS RETAINED IN FOLDED POSITION ADJACENT THE OUTER SIDES OF SAID BULWARK, SAID DOORS EXTENDING FROM SAID AIR BLANKETS ADJACENT SAID BULWARK TO SAID KEEL, AND EACH SAID CHAMBER COMPLETELY ENCLOSING AN OPERATIVE MECHANISM FOR DRAWING SAID AIR BLANKETS DOWNWARD TOWARD SAID KEEL, EACH SAID AIR BLANKET INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF HOOKS, AND EACH SAID OPERATIVE MECHANISM INCLUDING AN ENDLESS CHAIN MOVABLY SUPPORTED ON A PLURALITY OF GEARS, SAID CHAIN INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF HOOKS; SAID HOOKS OF SAID CHAIN EACH HAVING AN ARCUATE HOOK PORTION AND A PROJECTING TAPERING PIN ON THE CONCAVE SIDE OF SAID ARCUATE HOOK PORTION, SAID AIR BLANKET HOOKS EACH HAVING AN ARCUATE HOOK PORTION FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF SAID CHAIN HOOKS, EACH SAID AIR BLANKET HOOK HAVING AN OPENING THROUGH SAID ARCUATE PORTION, SAID TAPERING PIN OF SAID CHAIN HOOK BEING ENGAGEABLE IN SAID OPENING OF SAID AIR BLANKET HOOK WHEN SAID ARCUATE PORTIONS OF SAID HOOKS ARE ENGAGED. 